The Everyday Chef: Chocolate Banana Nice Cream (Dairy Free)

Alex Caspero, MA, RD, CLTEveryday Chef, Fruits & Veggies—More Matters

I was first introduced to the idea of banana ‘ice cream’ a few years ago by my sister, a trick she learned on Pinterest. Fast forward to now and it’s become one of my favorite hacks for a dairy-free dessert, especially on a hot summer day.

If you’ve never had ice cream made from bananas, you’re in for a surprising treat. Ripe, frozen bananas are puréed into a silky cream that tastes very similar to its dairy counterpart.

While you can enjoy this treat with just a little maple syrup and vanilla, I prefer to add in some unsweetened cocoa powder to create a rich chocolate flavor that’s great on its own or as the base for a sundae. As you’ll see in the video below, make sure your bananas are whipped until no more frozen pieces remain. Depending on the power of your blender or food processor, you may need to stop and scrape down the sides a few time as you do this.

Depending on how you like your ice cream, you can enjoy this straight from the blender like soft-serve, or place in a freezer-safe container and freeze for 2-4 hours until hardened. Leftovers taste great with almond milk and peanut butter for a chunky monkey milkshake!

Directions
Place the bananas in the base of a food processor or blender and purée until broken down into small chunks. Add the maple syrup and vanilla extract, then purée again until creamy and smooth.

Add in the cocoa powder and purée until all the chocolate has been incorporated and mixture is smooth. Enjoy as is or transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for 2-4 hours until hardened. Before serving, remove from freezer at least 10 minutes to soften slightly, this will make for easier scooping.